Tell Me You Want Me (Search and Seduce, #2)(39)

“Upstanding?” Try controlling and bland. “Well, it’s been a tricky few months, but it’s part of the reason I’m out here.”

“Ah, I get it,” Dex said, and there was an air of annoyance wafting from him. “You came out here, doing all this list stuff and getting lost in the wild with the likes of me to piss off your father.”

If she’d only heard the words, she might have been insulted, but she could see from the expression in his face that he wasn’t judging her. Just making an observation.

Besides, she couldn’t deny the truth of what he’d said. “Pissing off my dad is a bonus. But I came out here for me.”

He didn’t say any more. Just like her. The difference from driving with him in the truck to his mom’s place and now going out to the coast was crushing. Because there was no flirting, no smiles, no easy conversation. All that was between them were the hard reminders of why they didn’t fit together in all the ways that mattered.

He called her a princess for goodness sakes, and it hit her just then that what she’d thought was an endearment was his own bittersweet red flag. Deep down, Dex thought she was a spoiled princess, and maybe she was.

“Well, suppose we better get this training done,” he said. “You still up for it?”

She nodded, then hung her head and wondered how the hell she could get back to feeling strong…not weak.

She wrung her hands together, but they felt heavy, like they were handcuffed. She pulled her hands apart and pressed them against her legs. She wouldn’t be trapped. And she wouldn’t be tied to someone because she needed them just to survive.

She glanced at Dex. He didn’t look at her. Didn’t smile or try to touch her.

They’d driven for ten minutes when she thought how quickly this had turned sour.

“Maybe you should take me back home,” she said.

He shook his head and looked at her, a smile in place. “And miss out on your training?” She just wished she could tell if his smile was genuine or put on for her sake.

“I’ll sign off on your hours. You don’t have to do this.”

He shook his head. “And let you lie for me? This is going to be by the book.” He pointed out the window and to some small structure off-road ahead of them. “Hey, you’re not allowed to look so sad. Not with what I’ve got planned.”

“What you’ve got…? Where are we going, anyway?”

He looked back at the road. “Just wait and see.”





Chapter Nine


“This is terrifying!” Michelle yelled over the whipping propellers and loud noise of the helicopter.

“It’s also a shit ton of fun!” Dex yelled back. He tugged on her life jacket and checked her entire body one more time to make sure she was secure. It was just the two of them, leaning out of the helicopter as it hovered fifty feet above the water. There were two other search and rescuers in the copter with them for this adventure.

“You wanted to fall, right?” Dex asked. “Here’s your chance, princess.”

She was starting to rethink her grand idea of falling, but the list couldn’t be ignored. This was part of her independence, after all.

“So I just fall, and you’ll come in after me?”

He nodded. “It’s part of training.” He tugged on a rope that was secured to his harness. “I’m going to propel down, get you, and we’ll be pulled up.”

She took a deep breath. She was trusting him to come in after her. Trusting that she’d be okay. Trusting that he’d save her.

It was as exciting as it was terrifying. The whole point of this was to break away from being tied to people. To anyone. She looked at Dex. Part of her wanted him more than she should. And that was the one thing she couldn’t do. Shouldn’t do.

But she also couldn’t turn away from an opportunity to prove her courage.

She’d just have to fall and live with the consequences.

“You going to back out, princess?” he asked.

She frowned. No, she wouldn’t.

A scream broke from her lungs as she pushed off the helicopter and plummeted into the cold water. She held her breath as the tiny pricks of cold hit her.

She’d full on ran and jumped away from Dex. Away from the thought of more. Away from the threat of needing him or even wanting him.

She’d just jumped.

The rush of the experience was overwhelming. She felt good. Alive. She felt Dex splash in behind her. His big arms grabbed her up and secured her to his harness and body. As they started getting lifted from the water, she did the strangest thing…she held on to him.

Which was bad…very, very bad.





Chapter Ten


Michelle’s mind had been a mess since she’d stupidly held on to Dex after he saved her from the water. Mock rescue and training and her list aside…she’d reached for him. Clung to him. And if she was really honest, part of her wanted to be saved.

She shook her head.

Pathetic.

She needed a new list and fast if she was already caving on depending on someone else. Dex hadn’t reached out since he’d dropped her off after the helicopter training. Over twenty-four hours had passed since then, and she still hadn’t heard from him. He’d been cold on the way to the mock water rescue, but when they’d finished it, he’d been filled with the same warmth that made her love being around him.